John W. Fricks is a partner in Ogden & Fricks LLP, specializing in real estate and business transactions and litigation. Mr. Fricks is a 1987 graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (B.S. Computer Science). He then attended Boston University School of Law, where he graduated with honors (J.D. 1990, cum laude). Mr. Fricks has been admitted to practice law in California, the Central, Northern, and Eastern Districts of California, and the District of Hawaii.

At the outset of his career, Mr. Fricks was an associate in the Century City and Los Angeles offices of the international law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. After 7 years at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Mr. Fricks became Vice-President of Loss Mitigation at a national mortgage lender. In 1998, Mr. Fricks moved back to the Central Coast, initially opening his own practice, before forming the firm with Mr. Ogden in July 2000.

Mr. Fricks is an experienced trial attorney who also represents many businesses in entity formations, contract drafting and review, leases, acquisitions and business acquisitions and sales. He also has handled numerous business and real estate disputes in arbitration and state and federal court. His representative matters include:

• Acting as Lender's counsel on a $19 MM financing as part of the acquisition of a local hotel;
• Representing local developers in a number of writ petitions against the County of San Luis Obispo and other governmental agencies;
• Representing local banks and mortgage lenders and borrowers in workouts, foreclosures, and bankruptcies (creditors only);
• Defending an individual against a $1MM claim made on a guaranty;
• Prosecuting and defending construction defects, non-disclosure, and prescriptive easement cases.

Since 1998, Mr. Fricks has been on the County's Mock Trial Committee and has been co-chairman of that Committee since 2001. The Mock Trial Committee organizes competitions in mock trial, courtroom artist, and courtroom journalist categories for both junior and senior high schools.

Mr. Fricks lives with his wife, Michelle, and two children, Mark and Katie.